Good Enough
by Siredtoalex
Summary: AU: No Supernatural. How Delena met. The beginning of their epic love story. Warning: Evil Stefan, No offense, I love him.


Good enough

As Damon Giuseppe Salvatore grew up, he had learned one specific thing. And that was nothing other than that people will leave you. Even if they told you multiple times how much they care for you. You're always alone. And if you make the mistake of trusting someone, or getting attached to another human being, you'll end up hurt. But somewhere along the way, when he met Katerina, his mind changed. Maybe it was fate. She healed him. She let him forget about his past and insecurities. She changed him for the better. So now, a fully recovered, twenty-four year old man finally got the life he deserved. Married to his soul mate, having a beautiful newborn daughter, Damon couldn't ask for more. He's the happiest person on this planet. And this will be the last seconds, before it all crashes.

As she stood before him, explaining why this had happened, when this had happened, Damon couldn't think of any way how the scenario went down. He didn't hear a sound. He saw her moving her lips, looking desperate to put her feelings into words, but all he heard was silence. Once again, only silence.

" _We've got two injured persons. A young male with broken ribs, legs and arms. Probably a concussion, he's awake but doesn't move. We need an ambulance, now!" the paramedic went to check on Damon as he lied on the ground, blood tripping from his body. He tried to realize what had happened, but his vision went blurry. As he woke up again, the paramedic put him and his mother into the ambulance. He didn't hear a sound. Just saw people moving hectically, trying to save him. "Mom?" Damon tried to shout, though it sounded more like a weak whisper. She heard him anyway. "D-Damon.. sweetheart. Please take care of your brother. I can't leave with the thought of him not surviving this." his mother pleaded, while holding his hand. Damon pressed his lips together as a sob left his mouth. "What? Mom. You're going to be fine, you're going to be fine! You take care of him!" he shouted, this time louder, trying to sit up, but the doctors held him down. "Sir, stay calm, we want to help you!" the doctor tried to convey, but Damon didn't stop. "No, help her! Please just help her. Why isn't anyone taking care of my mother?!" the devastated son yelled, trying to focus their attention on his dying mother. "Please, promise you'll take care of him. He's your brother. Protect him." his mother beseeched. This had been her last request. And Damon, just like any other son, wouldn't dare to deny it. "I promise. I'll take care of him. I promise. But please, Mom, stay with us. Stay.." he couldn't finish his sentence, because his vision went blurry again._

 _When Damon Giuseppe Salvatore woke up, Stefan, his brother was crying in the room. He didn't hear a sound, but he knew one thing. His mother didn't make it. And now, there wasn't just the emptiness of his broken heart, but an tremendous silence._

"Why?" Damon asked his wife, the only word that escaped his lips, due to his unutterable shock. "I just .. This doesn't feel like home anymore. You don't feel like home anymore. I thought I could spend my life with you, but there's an enormous part missing Damon. I want to be happy again." , she declared, looking sad, but also relieved. "And he makes you happy?" , he asked bitterly, already knowing the answer. "I tried to help you. But this isn't good enough for me. You're not good enough for me. It's always going to be Stefan, Damon. I shouldn't have left him for you in the first place. I'm so, so sorry." , those were the last words he had heard from her, before she left the apartment, and his life. As she shut the door, the loud bang awoke his daughter, which started crying. He quickly ran to her to hold her in his arms and press her against his torso. "Everything is going to be okay, Anna. I promise. I'll fix it." the father whispered, calming his newborn.

"Caroline, hey." , Damon greeted when Caroline, his neighbour showed up at his door. "Hey .. I heard you two. Is everything alright?" , the blonde asked, stepping inside his apartment. "She left." , the black haired answered, while he looked at the painting of Katerina and him on the wall. They looked so in love, it was ridiculous. "I'm so sorry Da-" , a call interrupted her try of giving her old friend some empathy. At first Damon didn't even think of picking it up, but then he remembered the promise he gave his mother. _"Please, promise you'll take care of him. He's your brother. Protect him."_

He answered his phone "What Stefan?" , his tone sounding very pissed. "Hello?! Please help me, I'm at the Fitzgerald Hotel in - He's coming back, please help me!" , a terrified girl screamed. Well, this didn't sound like Stefan at all.

Thanks to the technology these days, Damon could see where Stefan - or Stefan's phone to be exact, was. He rapidly drove to the hotel, way over the speed limit, also skipping some red traffic lights, to rescue the girl. He reached his destination and ran up the hallway to where he'd heard screams. Some of the hotel staff gathered in front of the room, but couldn't open the door. Though when the strong Salvatore attained the door, he kicked it open without second thoughts. He stormed in and pushed the drunk guy against the wall, where after he punched him unconscious. The staff took care of the young lady, trying to bring her back to her room. She certainly had other plans and rushed to him, after calming herself. "You saved me. I'm very grateful. What's your name?" , the straight haired girl asked, but as Damon saw her, he got angry again. "None of your business." , he spat back. "Because this isn't some begin of a new love story, where the hero gets the girl he always wanted. This isn't your miracle, and I'm not your saviour. I don't even care about you." , Damon proclaimed, not caring about the feelings of the almost raped young woman. She didn't look too scared, or offended. The opposite. She smirked. "I didn't ask you for a date. I asked for your name. And who even said that I like you? You saved me. Tell me your name." , the girl demanded, sounding like a though ninja turtle. Damon got lost in his mind for a second, before he replied. "My name is 'Not good enough'. I don't know why you have my brothers phone, but you can keep it. He's not worth brining it back anyway." and with that, Damon disappeared into the dark night.

The rescued girl shut the door of her hotel room, carrying a thoughtful look on her face. Her thoughts were disrupted when her mobile phone went off. "Nina, Jessica called in sick. You'll have her performance today. I suggest you to be here in ten minutes." , her boss ordered, before hanging up. Great. Just great.

The crowd looked at her like she was a bag of raw meat. Dancing only for their entertainment. As the girl removed one clothing after another, her audience got wilder and hornier. Dollar bills flew around, her manager collecting it one by one. She hated her job. She hated the costumers, her boss, the dancing, but mostly the fear of getting fired and not being able to take care of her parents, who suffered from financial problems. Everyday she told herself this will be the last. The last dance, the last humiliation, the last dollar bill flying because of her slutty-ness. And she lied everyday. Before she could exit, a male was blocking her way. " I believe you've got something that belongs to me." , simpered a former costumer. "Leave me alone Stefan." Nina said, trying to pass him, but he roughly pressed her against a wall. "My phone Nina. Now." , she tried to escape, but he held her down and ripped his phone off her hands. "Ripper." , she riled, what caused him too laugh dryly. "My pleasure, beautiful." , he muttered into her ear, before biting in softly. "And if you want to earn extra cash, I'd have a job for you." , with these last words, Stefan left. Leaving a scared Nina, pressed against the cold wall.

Damon got back to his apartment, in which Caroline waited on the couch, looking sad and full of guilt. "What's going on?" , Damon asked, aware of her mood. "Katerina showed up with the police. They took Anna, Damon. You're not her father, Katarina lied to you. I'm so sorry." , she almost cried, taking him into her arms where he rested, his jaw clutching, teeth fletching. His anger couldn't be avowed, he had the need of killing this man for ruining his life. But he knew he couldn't. _"Protect him."_ Where the only words stuck in his head. Other than that, there was silence. Undefined, heartbreaking silence.

The next few weeks consisted of him going to work, eating junk and sleeping. He didn't see his friends. Caroline checked on him every Thursday. But all in all, he was alone again.

 _When Damon got back from the hospital, not fully recovered, but having to leave due to the high costs of occupying a room, he found his father in the kitchen. His neck bruised, Stefan hovering on top of him, crying. His heart shattered. He had killed himself. Stefan felt his presence and turned around, before attacking his older brother, knocking him down and holding him up by his shirt. "This is all your fault! You took them from me! You took my fucking life, Damon!" , the taller brother screamed, punching him in the face. Damon felt the hot blood dripping from his nose, which was probably broken by now. Not that he cared. "How could you do this to me?! How could you ruin my life?! They were everything I had!" , Stefan, who wouldn't stop crying continued beating Damon, until he had no strength left to hold him up. Damons numb body hit the floor. "This is all your fault. You're not my brother anymore, Damon. You are my biggest enemy. And I will destroy your life, like you destroyed mine. I promise." , Stefan screamed, storming out to call the police._

"Sir, watch out! , a random stranger shouted, holding Damon by the arm, stopping him from getting hit by a car. He had been too lost in his thoughts, to realize he was walking on the streets. "Oh.. I'm sorry. Thank you." , although he didn't sound rude, he didn't sound too happy about his salvation. He saw a familiar person on the pavement, who he walked up to. "Damnit .. I only have nine dollars." , the girl muttered, with Damon behind her. "How much do you need then?" , the black haired god asked, looking amused. "Nothing from you to be exact." , she answered, back in her defense mode. "I'll pay for her." , Damon told the Hot Dog seller and handed him a dollar bill. "You didn't have to do that, you know. I can look after myself." , Nina responded, annoyed. "Obviously." , Damon joked, giving her the meal. She noticed his dark personality, but found it even more attractive. "Will you finally tell me your name?" , the woman asked, getting rejected. "It's not good enough, I already told you." , he said, spacing out. "And I know your name's Damon Giuseppe Salvatore. You are a model for different branches, quite popular, to say at least. You also look good in suits." Nina joked, smiling a little. "I did some research." , she added. Damon returned her smile. For some reason, this had been the first time since Katerina left. "And who are you?" , Damon reciprocated, looking interested. "My name is Nina." , she responded. "No, your real name. Not the stripper name." , he said, looking her in her surprised eyes. Elena smiled brightly at Damon. "I did some research myself." , the latter explained. "Okay .. Well, I am Elena Gilbert." , she told him, what somehow made him happy.

"Nice to meet you, Elena Gilbert."


End file.
